Over the years, hydrangeas can develop into mighty bushes that take up a lot of space in the garden. It may then be necessary to dig up and divide the plant. With our instructions, this small feat of strength is guaranteed to succeed and you can soon enjoy two wonderfully blooming hydrangea bushes.
Hydrangeas should be large enough to share
When can you share?
You should preferably divide the hydrangea during dormancy, as you can shorten the shrub by a good third at this point without weakening the plant too much. This measure also makes the hydrangea easier to transport, since annoying branches and a lot of the weight of the scissors have fallen victim.
A good time to divide the hydrangea is therefore autumn, after the hydrangea has shed its leaves. You can also divide the hydrangea in early spring. However, she will then use all her strength to form new roots and therefore not set any flowers in the year after the division.
dig up hydrangea
Follow these steps:
- Dig a ring-shaped ditch around the plant. The diameter corresponds approximately to the crown.
- Dig up the root ball as extensively as possible.
- Carefully pry the hydrangea out of the ground.
Share rootstock
Depending on the size of the root system, you can now divide the plant into two or three sections. In contrast to many other perennials and shrubs, this cannot be done with a spade or digging fork. The hydrangea forms an extremely hard central root section that can only be divided with a saw.
So that the hydrangea root is not damaged during this care measure, the saw should be very clean and, if possible, even disinfected. After sawing, it is advisable to dust the wound with some charcoal. Wrap the rootstock tightly in burlap and transport the hydrangea to its new location.
Inserting the hydrangea
The new planting hole must be significantly larger than the root system. When planting very large specimens, it is helpful if a second person straightens the hydrangea while you fill the planting hole with soil. Treat the soil well and wash in the hydrangea.
tips and tricks
Hydrangeas are among the bog plants. You should therefore preferably plant the divided hydrangea in special hydrangea soil. Alternatively, rhododendron or azalea substrate is suitable.